Sr. Director, Software Engineering

About the role

The Senior Director of Software Engineering will lead the technical strategy, operational excellence, and architectural integrity of Cisco IQ Services engineering. This role requires a deep understanding of the full software development lifecycle (SDLC), a proven track record of scaling teams, and a commitment to high security and quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide visionary leadership to multiple development and architecture teams, fostering a culture of high performance, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Define and optimize end-to-end software development processes to ensure consistent delivery, scalability, and compliance with industry standards.
• Embed security and quality assurance into the core of the development lifecycle, ensuring all platforms are resilient, secure, and performant.
• Lead the design and implementation of comprehensive observability frameworks to proactively manage complex environments and minimize downtime.
• Drive the adoption of AI-based tools and methodologies within development environments to accelerate release cycles, reduce technical debt, and optimize resource costs.
• Partner with service organization leaders to align engineering outputs with business objectives, ensuring seamless service delivery and support.
• Lead all aspects of architectural strategy, ensuring that systems are modular, scalable, and aligned with long-term business goals.

Requirements

• Leadership Experience: 10+ years of experience in engineering management, with significant experience leading large, multi-functional teams at the Director level or above.
• Technical Expertise: Deep knowledge of modern SDLC, distributed systems, and cloud-native architecture.
• Operational Rigor: Proven experience running complex, mission-critical environments with a focus on high availability and performance.
• Service Organization Experience: Demonstrated success working within or partnering with service-oriented organizations to deliver value to internal or external stakeholders.
• Strategic Innovation: Experience implementing AI or automation strategies that have tangibly improved developer velocity or operational cost-efficiency.
• Communication: Outstanding ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and influence organizational change.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of DevSecOps practices and regulatory compliance.
• Track record of mentoring and developing engineering leadership talent.

Skills

• Experience in high-scale enterprise environments.

Benefits

Cisco offers competitive compensation, including a starting salary range of $293,900.00 to $406,800.00 for this position, subject to location and individual performance. Additional benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• A 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution.
• Paid parental leave.
• Short and long-term disability coverage.
• Basic life insurance.
• Volunteer time off.
• Flexible vacation time off.
• Performance-based incentive pay for quota-based sales roles.

Pay

$293,900.00 to $406,800.00

Schedule

Full-time